3 - CURSED BE ANYONE WHO SAYS: CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD (SURA 9:30)

Servants of the Lord

One of the main differences between Islam and Christianity is that Muslims vehemently contest the faith of Christians that Christ is the Son of God. Why do they do this? What in the Koran makes them attack this central Christian article of faith? And what follows spiritually from this aggressive attack against the triune God?

3.01 -- CURSED BE ANYONE WHO SAYS: CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD (SURA 9:30)

Servants of the Lord

You will know the Truth, and the Truthwill make you free.(John 8:32)

CURSED BE ANYONE, WHO SAYS:CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD!
(Sura 9:30)

Any reader of the Koran will be astounded and bewildered. Sure al-Tawba 9:30 states: “The Jews say Uzeir (Ezra) is the son of God, and the Nazarenes (Christians) say the Messiah (Christ) is the son of God. Such (however) are the words they utter with their mouths, by which they emulate the infidels of old. Allah confound (kill) them! How perverse they are!”

It cannot be proven that the Jews in the Arabic Peninsula at the time of Muhammad worshipped Ezra as a God. He was highly respected among them because he had given the exiles returning from the Babylonian captivity a new state with Jerusalem as its capital, and thus restored their national identity (458 BC). A Jewish State had always been a provocation in the eyes of Muhammad.

The Koran is no less critical of Christians. The disciples of Jesus did not harbor any political ambitions, but they did believe in a spiritual kingdom of God and revered Jesus as their savior and divine king. The fact that Muhammad cursed all Nazarenes who called Jesus the Son of God (and still do), is historical evidence that, at that period, there were Christians living at the Arabian Peninsula who believed in the existence of the Son of God and his Heavenly Father and openly testified to their faith (Sura al-’Imran 3:61).

For Muhammad it was inconceivable that modern thinkers should attribute a son to Allah; he considered such views as an empty repetition of ancient traditions without any inner conviction. He adopted an attitude of set animosity and uttered a curse against them:

Why did Muhammad reject the possibility of God having a son? What drove Muhammad to deny so categorically that Jesus was the Son of God? Amongst others, there were three main reasons which convinced them that this was impossible:

Mecca, before Muhammad’s time, was a center of polytheism. According to tradition that sanctuary of the Ka’aba was filled with more than 300 gods, spirits, idols and altars. Muhammad and four other companions (Waraqa b. Nawfal, Ubaid Allah b. Jahsh, Uthman b. al-Hawartih and Zaid b. Amr) began to search for a better religion (Hanifs). They rejected the belief in a consort of Allah, al-Lat, and her two daughters Uzza and Manat (Sura al-Najm 53:19-22). In this context, Muhammad considered the concept of a Son of God as a relapse into animism.

Under the influence of Judaism in the Hedjaz, the five pilgrims (Hanifs as they were called) discovered that there is only one God, Jahweh, the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4)! He could not and did not have any son. The decisive question, which the High Priest Caiaphas asked Jesus, and the implied rejection of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God has lost none of its actuality among the Jews in the Arabian Peninsula (Matthew 26:63-68). Muhammad took over most of the arguments of the Jewish opponents of Christianity in the Hedjaz and perpetuated them in the Koran.

Muhammad saw himself as the last in the succession of Old Testament prophets (Sura al-Ahzab 33:40). For this reason the idea of Jesus being the Son of God did not fit in with his conception, otherwise he would have had to acknowledge him and submit to him. This was out of the question as far as he was concerned, since he viewed himself as the climax and seal of all prophecy (Sura al-Ahzab 33:40). He accepted Jesus as the greatest of all prophets before him, but never considered him as the Son of God.

Islam is a post-Christian religion! This means that Muhammad had informed himself concerning the person of Jesus and had rejected his divinity, which means that Islam developed into an antichristian movement. There are seventeen verses in the Koran which exclude in general the possibility of God having a son and in particular the claim of Christ to be the Son of God. Anyone who reads these seventeen verses in their context (Suras al Baqara 2:116; al-Nisa’ 4:171; al-An’am 6:101; Yunis 10:68; al-Isra’ 17:111; al Kahf 18:4; Maryam 19:35, 88-92; al-Anbiya’ 21:26; al-Mu’minun 23:91; al-Furqan 25:2; al Zumar 39:4; al Zukhurf 43:81; al-Jinn 72:3) can get a basic understanding of the Islamic principles underlying the rejection of the idea of God having a Son.

3.02 -- Christians evangelized Muhammad!

There are seven occurrences in the Koran of Christians (Nazarenes) attempting to explain to Muhammad that God has a Son. In such cases they usually used the word „walad“ which means a biologically begotten physical descendant. In only one account did they use the word „ibn“, which refers to a legally appointed heir. At times Christians invited or even pressurized Muhammad to accept the divinity of Christ, his miracles and his ascension to heaven, so that he became impatient and either lost his temper or ridiculed them (Suras al-Baqara 2:116; al-Nisa’ 4:171; Yunus 10:68; al-Kahf 18:4; Maryam 19:30 35 and 88-92).

3.03 -- The increasing opposition of Muhammad

Seven times the defense of Muhammad consisted in confessing the supreme position of Allah by exclaiming „subhanahu“ (Exalted be he above any imputations!), which completely excluded any further discussion. Muhammad confronted those who believed in the Son of God with the immeasurable grandeur of Allah in order to reduce them to silence. However, when some of them refused to yield and encouraged him to reflect and understand, he responded with increasing harshness and obstinacy in the Koran:

„How should he have a son when he had no consort?“ (Sure al-An’am 6:101).

This primitive Bedouin idea was further supported by the doctrine of a Christian sect on the Arabian Peninsula whose members claimed that the Trinity consisted of Allah, the Father, Mary, the Mother of God, and her Son Jesus. (Sura al-Ma’ida 5:116). Although all Christian churches reject such a biological conception of the Trinity and confess instead a spiritual unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, most Muslims and Christians in the Middle East still hold to the idea of the Mother of God, and this makes a dialogue with the sons of Abraham more difficult.

This direct rejection of the dogma of the Trinity is called the Sura of faithfulness in the Koran and is repeated endlessly during the five times of prayer.

In other texts Muhammad wrote:

„… Allah is only one God! …“ (If there were two Gods, a coup in heaven would be unavoidable.)” (Suras al-Nisa’ 4:171; al-Mu’minun 23:91; al-Zumar 39:4)

ا... إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ ... (سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ ١٧١:٤)ا

We hear in this statement of faith an Islamic echo of the fundamental creed of Israel (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:29). Jesus, however, has widened the scope of this Old Testament confession of faith through his revelation „I and the Father are one“ and not two! (John 10:30).

The Koran affirms that „Allah has created everything in heaven and on earth. …” (Suras al-An’am 6:101; al-Furqan 25:2)

ابَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ ... (سُورَةُ الأَنْعَامِ ١٠١:٦)ا

Regarding the origin of Jesus we read „When He (Allah) decrees a thing He need only say: ‘Be,” and it is!” (Suras Al ‘Imran 3:47,59; Maryam 19,35)

These statements of Muhammad deliberately contradict the Nicene Creed, through which all Christians confess „One Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made!" Islam claims the opposite. Christ was created and not begotten! We ought to repeat often the Nicene Creed in our churches: it is an answer of the Holy Spirit, revealed in anticipation of the powerful seduction of Islam.

Muhammad proclaimed in the Koran: „His (Allah's) is what the heavens and the earth contain." (Suras al-Baqara 2:116; al-Nisa’ 4:171)

Allah can treat him as he wills, even destroy him, should he pretend to be the Son of God! (Sura al-Ma’ida 5:17). Muhammad had no idea of the gentleness and the love of the Father for his Son and the Son for the Father.

Allah, according to Koran, is and remains the one almighty ruler who shares his power with no one (Suras Bani Isra’il 17:111; al-Furqan 25:2; al-Zukhruf 43:83-84). He alone is the Most High. Jesus, however, attested 600 years before: „All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me" (Matthew 28:18; John 3:35; 13:3) and: “I sat down with my Father on His throne." (Revelation 3:21)

Allah in the Koran is omniscient (Suras al-An’am 6:101; al-Anbiya’ 21:28; al-Zukhruf 43:84-85). He knows all that is hidden beyond the grave and all that is open in this life. (Sura al-Mu’minun 23:92). He has predestined everyone and everything down to the last detail (Sura al Furqan 25:2). Therefore there can be no second authority beside Allah, since it would have also been previously predetermined by him. Allah alone knows the last hour and the day of judgment (Sura al Zukhruf 43:5). Some Muslim commentators refer to the testimony of Jesus that no one, not even he himself, knows the hour of the resurrection, only the Father (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7).

The uniqueness and the inconceivable greatness of the Creator exclude the possibility of his having a son beside himself. Muhammad wondered: „How could it be possible that Allah should have a son?“ (Sura al-An’am 6:101)

اأَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ ... (سُورَةُ الأَنْعَامِ ١٠١:٦)ا

He further insisted: „It is not for Allah to have a son! God forbid (that He Himself should beget a son)! …“ (Sura Maryam 19,35)

This statement, paradoxically, restricts the freedom of the Almighty! The clear testimony of the Father of Jesus Christ, however, was as follows: „This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased; hear Him!“ (Matthew 3:17; 17:5)

In the Sura Maryam 19:92, Muhammad continues to develop this point of view, protesting: „That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become the Lord of Mercy to beget one!“ There is no inherent, compelling necessity for the Almighty to produce offspring beside himself. If he had wished the company of a son, he could have chosen one of his own creatures and purified it. The Arabian prophet had no insight into the deep tension, based on eternal justice, between the holiness of God, which requires judgment, and his saving love. The only solution of this dilemma was through the atoning death of the sinless Son of Man. The „Gospel in a nutshell“, as explained in John 3:16, would be inconceivable in Islam and appears to Muslims unnecessary, impossible and blasphemous.

Muhammad had the arrogance and cynicism of pretending, as a blasphemous joke, that „if the Lord of Mercy had a son, (he) would be the first to worship him!“ (Sura al-Zukhruf 43:81)

This is the capital falsehood of Islam. According to Philippians 2:6-11, even the prophet will fall on his knees at the Last Judgment and admit with horror that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of his Father!

The Sura al-Djinn 72:1-15 represents a special brain teaser for unrealistic humanists and dormant Christians. It describes how the spirits (djinn) which converted to Islam, enthusiastically praise the Most High as their greatest source of happiness, because „he has taken no consort, nor has he begotten any children!“. On the contrary, „the Blaspheming One (the Devil) has uttered a monstrous falsehood against God“ (namely that God has a son), and has put it into the minds and hearts of his spokesmen (pastors and evangelists), so that they are the ones who seduce a large portion of mankind with this blasphemous message. James, however, recognized the true nature of demons and describes it in the following terms: „You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.“ (James 2:19)

3.04 -- An angry condemnation of Christian witnesses

Here are some of the Koranic statements concerning the sonship of Jesus:

„88 Those who say: ‚The Lord of Mercy has begotten a son’, 89 preach a monstrous falsehood, 90 at which the very heavens might crack, the earth split asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust. 91 That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, 92 when it does not become the Lord of Mercy to beget one!“ (Sura Maryam 19:88-92)

„Surely of this (that God has begotten a son, cf. verse 4) they could have no knowledge, neither they nor their fathers: a monstrous (blasphemy) is that which comes out of their mouths. They utter nothing but lies.“ (Sura al-Khaf 18:5)

Muhammad attacked the Christians directly by affirming: „They said: ‚Allah has begotten a son!’ God forbid! Self-sufficient is he! … Surely for this (they) have no sanction. Would you say of Allah what you know not?“ (Sura Yunus 10:68)

Muhammad became more insistent in his preaching and exhorted Jews and Christians to reconsider their position: „There is none in the heavens or on earth but shall return to the Merciful in utter submission (literally: as a slave)!“ (Sura Maryam 19:93)

Therefore his disciples should never claim that they are children of God and his loved ones: instead they should promptly convert to Islam and confess that they too are slaves of Allah (Sura al-Ma’ida 5:18). Muhammad expected all; Jews, Christians, Animists and even the angels, the „Spirit of the Holy One“ and Christ himself to commit themselves wholly to Allah, the only Exalted One, and submit to him unconditionally as dutiful Muslims.

3.05 -- Muhammad’s warnings and his command to attack the People of the Book

In the Sura al-Kahf 18:4 Muhammad transmitted the inspired instruction: „Warn all who say ‚Allah has a son!’“

He described the plagues of Hell as an intensive-care ward for all who insisted on believing in this doctrine (Sura Yunus 10:70). Muhammad went so far as to reveal, that „should any (of Allah’s honored servants) declare: I am a God besides Him!, he would requite him with Hell. This is how we punish the evildoers.“ (Sura al-Anbiya’ 21:29)

When an Islamic sheik (law expert) was asked, what the threat implied by this particular verse meant, he responded succinctly by making the gesture of cutting his throat!

In the Sura of repentance any open-minded person can read Allah’s injunction, addressed to all Muslims in the world, inciting them to attack the People of the Book with naked arms and force them into submission, should they, as believers, be in an economical and tactical position to do so. Muhammad’s orders are clear:

„Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given (Jews and Christians) as believe in neither Allah nor the Last Day (as Muslims do), who do not forbid what Allah and his Apostle (Muhammad) have forbidden,and do not embrace the true Faith (of Islam), (fight against them) until they pay tribute out of hand (Djizja) and are utterly subdued.“ (Sura al-Tauba 9:29)

The Arabic language possesses three different words to express the idea of conflict:

● Kifah denotes an ideological or intellectual controversy. This concept never appears in the Koran!

● Djihad describes a personal commitment to Allah, including a total investment of life, strength and goods, leading in some cases to armed conflict.

● Qital means to rush fully armed into close combat.

Muhammad’s directive to subjugate Jews and Christians begins with the third concept. His theological arguments justifying this requirement are complex and pragmatic:

They do not share the Muslims’ faith in Allah, his angels and spirits, his books, his emissaries (apostles) and prophets, his predestination and the resurrection of the dead including the existence of Paradise and Hell (according to the six tenets of the Islamic faith).

They do not submit to the Islamic Law (Shari’a) with it’s rules for worship and everyday life formulated in the 500 precepts and prohibitions, including barbaric sanctions in case of non-compliance.

They are not adepts of the one valid religion acceptable before Allah (Sura Al ’Imran 3:19). They have become apostates, although they originally received verbally inspired portions of the Scriptures preserved in heaven.

Their confusion culminates in the fact that the Jews allegedly called Ezra God’s offspring, whereas the Christians offend the Muslims’ ears by claiming that Jesus was the Son of God.

As far as the Christians are concerned, the reasons for Muhammad’s rejection and his command to subdue them, lastly focus on one single point: for him, anyone who continued to believe in the Son of God, was the object of Allah’s curse. The conquest of the Christians for the glory of Allah becomes, whenever possible, an inexorable duty. Muhammad declared war on all Christians because of their faith in the crucified Son of God!

The practical side of everyday life for the conquered minorities can be found in the commentary of Ibn al-Arabi’s „Ahkam al-Koran“ volume I, page 378, Cairo. In it, he gives fifteen different interpretations of the expression „they must pay the minority tax with their own hands“. This is one version:

„Those under obligation to pay the minority tax are forbidden to appear mounted on a high horse, but must come on foot, pay the sum directly from hand to hand, without receiving a word of thanks. Any lack of humility or compliance will be punished with a blow on their neck.“

An acquaintance of liberal Muslims may object: there are many verses in the Koran that favor tolerance, equality and collaboration. Muhammad declares:

These and similar verses in the Koran are only valid so long as Islam is in the minority and for this reason needs tolerance, dialogue, appearances on television and propaganda. But as soon as it is in the majority, it has no further use for tolerance! In this situation the verses which appeal to the right of religious freedom are considered outdated, abrogated and replaced through better statutes of Allah. Then, the only recognized law is the Shari’a, according to which Christians and Jews must be reduced to despicable minorities.

Anyone who refuses to believe or accept these historical and juridical facts should travel to a few Islamic states where Christians constitute less than ten percent of the population, and he will be utterly disillusioned. Millions of Christians have suffered for generations in the Nile Valley, in the Near East, in Turkey, in Iran, in Central Asia and in Pakistan. They have been repeatedly exposed to waves of discrimination, contempt, oppression and persecution. Former Christian countries have become 90 percent Islamic, or, in North Africa, even 99 percent, because the financial drain and the discrimination of the Christian population were unbearable. The disciples of Christ in Europe, the USA and Korea should take over more responsibility for the persecuted churches in Islamic states. The Islamic missionary commission is repeated twice in the Koran (Suras al-Baqara 2:193; Sura al-Anfal 8:39).

Fight against them (with armed force) until idolatry is no more (literally: until there is no temptation to apostasy) and Allah’s religion reigns supreme.

When the predominantly Christian population of the Moluccas (an Indonesian archipelago between the Celebes and New Guinea) attempted to prevent the destruction of their churches and several Muslims were allegedly killed during the fights, the Islamic authorities on the island of Java declared a so-called Holy War against the rebels. Thereupon the islands were conquered one after the other by Muslim soldiers. The elders and pastors were crucified, husbands were killed and their wives and children forcibly converted to Islam. Thus the fanatics fulfilled the requirements of the Sura Al-Maida 5:33! („Those that make war against God and his Apostle and spread disorder in the land shall be slain or crucified or have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or be banished from the land.“) The Western media reported almost nothing about this wave of persecution against Christians at the end of the last century. He who has ears, let him hear!

3.06 -- The answer of the Gospel

The hatred of Muhammad and the antagonism of the Islamic religion are directed with rigorous consistency against the teaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Therefore, we should take to heart the spiritual focus of the Muslim Creed and the reply to this challenge given by John, the Apostle of God’s love (1 John 2:22-24; 4:1-4). He summarizes his position thus: „He who has the Son, has life: he who does not have the Son of God does not have life!“ (1 John 5:12) Even in his Gospel, John gives an indirect spiritual assessment of Islam: „He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him.“ (John 3:36)

Whoever seeks a practical and positive answer to the monotheism of Islam in the Gospel and expects helpful and straight arguments against the objection to the divine commission of Christians, will find them in Matthew 28:18-20: „All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.“ Also the creed in Hebrew 13:8 confirms the secret of the Holy Trinity as a unity of the triune God: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!”

Because of his presence we live, love and worship. The great joy, which came into the world at the birth of Christ, drives out the depression inherent to the cheerless monotheism of Islam (Luke 2:10-11). The sympathy, which Jesus showed to the sick, the afflicted, the demon-possessed and the sinners, expresses his character as the Son of God, full of love, gentleness and humility. In his light, the image of Allah, the arbitrary despot of Islam, pales away. Jesus’ victory at the cross revealed the fairness of his heavenly Father, who remained just even if he declares us righteous in spite of our imperfections because of the atoning death of his dear Son. Consequently the nature of Islam, as a religion of salvation by works, and the illusion of this legalistic religious system are clearly exposed. The resurrection of Christ confirms the holiness and the sinlessness of the Son of God and validates his atoning sacrifice and the revelation of eternal life.

3.07 -- Jesus lives! - Muhammad is dead!

The climax of Christ’s ascension was his enthronement as the Lamb of God. He sits together with his Father on the throne, fulfilling the statement in his high-priestly prayer: „We are one!“ (John 17:22). Whatever accusations Islam may produce against the Son of God, they are refuted by his eternal reality. We ought not to fear Muslims and their religion, for the blessing of Jesus is more powerful than the curse of Muhammad. Instead the love of Jesus motivates us to present to the prisoners of Islam the salvation that the Son of God completed for them too. Let us pray for them, and believe that our request will be granted!

3.08 -- Q U I Z

Dear reader! If you have studied this booklet carefully, you can easily answer the following questions. Whoever answers 90 percent of all questions in the different booklets of this series correctly, can obtain a certificate from our center on

Advanced Studiesin Basic Differences between Islam and Christianity

as an encouragement for his/her future services for Christ. It will be appreciated if you include the Qur'anic references in your answers.

What does the curse of Muhammad in Sura 9:30 against all followers of Christ mean?

What are the three reasons that led Muhammad to reject the divine sonship of Christ?

Where is it written in the Koran that Christians tried seven times to explain to Muhammad that Christ is Son of God?

What does the word “Subhanahu” mean when Muhammad rejects the divine sonship of Christ?

Why did Muhammad thank that Allah could never generate a son?

What is the Islamic result if there were two Gods?

If Allah in the Koran is the unique possessor of everything, what then does the position of Christ in Islam mean?

If Allah in the Koran is omniscient and has predestined everything, why then can Christ never be a God besides him?

Why did Muhammad ridicule and say, if Allah had a son I would be the first to worship him?

Where is it written in the Koran that it is something detestable to say that Allah possesses a son?

Why are all angels, men and demons slaves of Allah, including the son of Mary?

How did Muhammad warn the Christians about saying that God had a son?

Where in the Koran is it written that Christians do not belong to the right religion and therefore have to be fought against with weapons?

What does the minority tax (Djizya) mean for Christians and Jews?

Why did Muhammad in the first part of his religious ministry confess, “Our God and your God is one (and the same)”? Why does this statement only apply to situations in which Muslims are a minority?

What does the fact that Jesus lives but Muhammad is dead mean?

Every participant in this quiz is allowed to use any book at his disposition and to ask any trustworthy person known to him when answering these questions. We wait for your written answers including your full address on the papers or in your e-mail. We pray for you to Jesus, the living Lord, that He will call, send, guide, strengthen, protect and be with you every day of your life!